Pump-operating mechanism for pneumatic player-pianos.



W. SCHACK.

PUMP OPERATING MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC PLAYER PIANOSX APPLICATION FILED APR.14.1916. I

' Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lw W. M

lw my! AAAJAJ INVE/YTUR Mam/M ATTORNEY W. SCHACK.

PUMP OPERATING MECHANISMYFOR PNEUMATIC PLAYER PIANOS.

. APPLICATION FILED APR. I4. 1916.

1 48,408. Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I L I 4 4% I ll ATTORNEY WILLIAM SCHACK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PUMP-OPERATIN G MECHANISM FOR, PNEUMATIC PLAYER-PIANOS.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

Application filed April l l, 1916. Serial No. 91,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM Sermon, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Pump-Opcrating Mechanisms for Pneumatic Player- Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to operating mechanism for the pumps of pneumatic player pianos and has for its object the provlsion of electromagnetic means for automatically operating the bellows of a pneumatlc player piano, which means is adapted to be attached to the existing pneumatlc player pianos having foot-actuated pedals without any material changes.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an electromagnetic mechanism wh ch will be of a simple construction and which will automatically take care of the variable load required to operate the bellows 'of a pneumatic player piano.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, and V Figure 1 shows a front elevation of my device,

Fig. 2 a side elevation of the device attached to a piano.

Fig. 3 an enlarged view of a portion showing electrically controlled mechanism.

Fig. i a side elevation of the electrically controlled mechanism.

Fig. 5 a diagram of electrical connections.

At 1, I indicate a part of a keyboard and at 2, the lower front board or apron.

In the front board 2, an aperture 3, 1s produced through which the pedals 4 and 5, are projected. Each of these pedals is connected by a suitable linkage to a bellows or pump 4 which is connected to the wind-chest (not shown) of a pneumatic player piano, these parts being of the usual construction and their specific details of construction forming no part of the present invention. To this apron 2, I secure a casing 6, which may be of wood or other suitable material and which incloses the principal portions of my device.

Arranged within the casing 6, are two solenoids 7 and 8, secured side by side and upon approximately the same plane.

Operable within the solenoid coils 7 and 8, are plungers 9 and 10, each of which has attached a brass or non-magnetic plug as indicated at 11 and 12, by means of links or connecting rods 13 and 14 and adjustable clamps l5and 16. I connect each solenoidwith one pedal 4 or 5, as shown in Figs. 1

and 2.

The clamps 15 and 16 are secured in position by wing nuts 17 and 18 and it will be lunderstood that these clamps may be removed so that the piano may be operated by these plungers will just move up and down idly within the solenoids and will not interfere with the actuation of the pedals by the foot of the operator. I have also stated that the clamps should be adjustable. This is an advantage in that I desire that the line of force through the core of the solenoid and to the pedals should closely approximate vertical lines and therefore the clamps should be adjustable upon the pedals so that the power applied may be passed through the most effective line or space.

As the pedals are pivoted at 19, they operate in an are indicated by the dotted line 20, and as the cores of the solenoids operate in a generally vertical line, I pivot the links 13 and 14: into the brass plugs 11 and 12 as in-- dicated at 21 and 22. I also pivotally connect the links 13 and 14, to the adjustable clamps 15 and 16, as shown at 23 and 24:.

Arranged and secured adjacent to the upper ends of the solenoid coils 7 and 8, is a bearing block or pillow block 25, through which extends a partially rotatable shaft 26. Secured upon the shaft 26, is a rocker arm 27 and this rocker arm is connected to pins 28 and 29- in the movable cores 9 and 10, of the solenoids and for a purpose well under stood, I provide an elongated slot at each end of the rocker arm, as shown at 30 and 31.

Within the casing 6, I arrange a chamber 32, in which the switch mechanism which controls the operation of the solenoids will be operatively secured.

The switch mechanism consists of a continuous metallic sector 33 and an interrupted sector comprising the metallic members 3 1 and 35, spaced apart by an insulating block 36. Each of the sectors is so supported that it presents a projected edge and upon and operable over the projected edge, is a resilient metallic contact member having two U shaped openings 37 and 38, one of which en gages either sector 34 or 35, and the other the sector 33. The contact member which I may refer to as a whole by the reference charac ter 39, is supported upon, though insulated from, a lever 40, which lever is pivotally secured to any convenient support as shown at 41.

Secured to and operable upon the shaft 26, is an arm 42, and this arm operates the lever 40, through the medium of a plurality of coil springs 43 and 44, and it will he noted in Fig. 4 that the arm 42 is spaced away from the lever 40, a distance suflicient to provide or allow a free movement of the springs 43 and 44.

From the diagram shown in Fig. 5, and when the core 10 is elevated, it is desired that this core should be depressed by the energizing of the coil 8. The path of the current will then be through the lead 50, a suitable switch 51, through the coil 8, through the by-pass or jumper 52, to the sector 33, across the contact member 39, to the sector 35, out to the line 53.

When the core 9, is elevated the contact member 39, will connect the sector 34, with the sector 33, at which time the path of the current will be from the line lead 50, to the sector 34, through the contact 39, to the sector 33, through the lead or jumper 52, 7

through the coil 7, to the line 53, and out.

To obtain this alternate movement of the cores of the solenoids, 1 have provided a switch mechanism arranged in the chamber 32, and which has been previously described. The operation of this switch is as follows:

When the core 9, is fully depressed, the spring 43, will be fully extended and the spring 44, extended but to a limited degree, the strength or tension of the extended spring 43, will snap or rapidly move the contact member 39, from the sector 34, to the sector 35. This will result in deenergizing the coil 7, and will energize the coil 8, and thereupon the Core 10, will move clownward and the core 9, upward. The resulting rock of the bar 27, will move the arm 42, through the are 41, and when a full movement of the arm has resulted, the contact member 39, will again be rapidly moved back into the position shown in Fig. 3.

On the arm 42, I provide two pins 42 and 42, and on the lever 40, I provide pins 4.0 and 40 between the pins 40 and 42 the spring 44, is suspended with freedom to partially rotate on these pins and the spring 43, is rotatably supported upon the pins 40 and 42". It will be observed in F ig. 4, that the pins are out of alinement with each other and that at no time during the movement of the parts do the pins contact or abut one upon another. The arrangement of the pins upon the arm and lever allow the springs to swing freely through their respective arcs.

When the lever 42 is at the center of its motion and in a vertical position, both of the springs 43 and 44, will be compressed or retracted to their full extent, but when the arm 42, moves to one side or the other of the lever 40, the springs 43, and 44, will be extended, the spring 43, being stretched faster than the spring 44.

Because of this relative action of the spring, the spring 43, will tend to move the lever40, but during the operation of the movement the extension of the spring 43, will be almost through the center of the lever 40, and as the spring 44, will also be under extension, this spring 44, will tend to retain the lever 40, in an-inoperative position as it will appear that the extension of each spring tends to move the lever 40 in a direct-ion opposite to that which would be occasioned by the extension of the other spring. It is obvious therefore that no movement of the lever can occur until the spring 43, is extended to a degree sufficient to overcome not only the friction of the contact member 39, but also the force applied by the extension of the spring 44.

hen the contact member 39, is moved the inertia of the moving plunger will cause a slightly further movement of the lever 40, a movement sufficient to cause the member 39 to travel well up on the sector with which it is engaged.

As I desire that each of the springs 43 and 44, should be under constant tenison, I may change the length of these springs'or the positions of their supporting pins and it will of course be appreciated that the movement of the lever 40, toward the arm 42, will continue until the springs and 44, are balanced.

The construction of this switch mechanism, I consider important as in devices of this kind it is very desirable that noise should be eliminated. I have therefore constructed this switch which virtually operates in the air and without mechanically contacting or abutting parts.

In Fig. 2, I have shown my device as secured to the exterior of a piano, but it will of course be understood that the device may be secured within the piano and may be so connected as to operate the bellows even though pedals are not supplied.

I also desire that it should be understood that my device may be supported independently of the piano and may be connected to the pedals without being secured to the apron as shown and for that reason I have omitted the apron in certain of the figures and as previously set forth my device may be employed in connection with other mechanisms. whole and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

Any one versed in the art will understand that a solenoid may operate as efliciently whether the core moves downward into the field ot the coil or upward into that field or a horizontal movement of the core, although not generally employed if it is possible to avoid it, is still within the perview of its field of operation and construction.

As shown by the wiring diagram there will be no interruption of the current during the period when one solenoid is deenergized and the other energized. I prefer this as it will prevent destructive arcing in the switch mechanism and although the coils may be entirely independent of each other if that construction is desired, I prefer the whole as shown and described.

Having carefully and fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a wind chest of a pneumatic player piano, an operating bellows, an electric solenoid, a core movably mounted within said solenoid, means including a circuit and a circuit controller for intermittently energizing said solenoid, and connections from said core to said bellows for actuating said bellows when said solenoid is energized.

2. In combination with a wind chest of a pneumatic player piano, a pair of operating bellows, a pair of electric solenoids, cores movably mounted in said solenoids, connections from each of said cores to one of said bellows, and means including a circuit for each of said solenoids and a circuit controller for said circuits for alternatelyenergizing said solenoids to cause said cores to actuate said bellows.

3. In combination with a wind chest of a pneumatic player piano, a pair of operating bellows, a pair of electric solenoids, cores movably mounted in said solenoids, a rockerarm connecting said cores, connections from each of said cores to one of said bellows, and means including a circuit for each of said solenoids and a circuit controller for said circuits for alternately energizing said sole- Parts may be used without the noids to cause said cores to actuate said bellows.

4:. In combination with a wind chest of a pneumatic player piano, an operating bellows, a pedal for actuating the same, an electric solenoid, a core movable in said solenoid, connections from said core to said bellows for actuating said bellows when said solenoid is energized, and means including a circuit and a circuit-controller for intermittently energizing said solenoids.

5. In combination with a wind chest of a pneumatic player piano, a pair of operating bellows, a pedal for operating each of said bellows, a pair of electric solenoids, cores movable in said solenoids, connections from each of said cores to one of said bellows for actuating each of said bellows when its corresponding solenoid is energized, and means including a circuit for each of said solenoids and a circuit-controller for said circuits for alternately energizing said solenoids.

6. In combination with a wind chest of a pneumatic player piano, a pair of operating bellows, a pedal for operating each of said bellows, a pair of electric solenoids, cores movable in said solenoids, a rocker-arm connecting the ends of said cores, connections from each of said cores to one of said bellows for actuating the latter when its corresponding solenoid is energized, and means including acircuit for each of said solenoids and a circuit-controller for said circuits for alternately energizing said solenoids.

7. In combination with a wind chest of a pneumatic player piano, an operating bellows, an electric solenoid, a core movable in said solenoid, connections from said core to said bellows for actuating said bellows when the solenoid is energized, a circuit for said solenoid, a circuit-controller for said circuit connected to said core and operable by a variable movement of said core.

8. In combination with a wind chest of a pneumatic player piano, an operating bellows, an electric solenoid, a core movable in said solenoid, connections from said core to said bellows for actuating said bellows when said solenoid is energized, a circuit for said solenoid, a circuit-controller for said circuit, means for operating said circuit-controller from said core irrespective of a variation in the movement of said core.

WILLIAM SGHACK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

